FRIDAY, Dec. 9, 2016 – Insomnia is common in adults with asthma and tied to worse asthma control and other health problems, a new study finds. University of Pittsburgh researchers found that 37 percent of adults with asthma also had significant insomnia. Those with insomnia had worse lung function. They also weighed more. And they tended to have lower incomes than those without insomnia, the study found. Insomnia was also linked to a reduced asthma-specific quality of life. People with asthma and trouble sleeping had more depression and anxiety symptoms, the study found. They also needed more asthma-related health care in the past year. The study was published in the journal Chest. Although the study wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers suggested that their findings show that insomnia affects people with asthma. They also said that evaluation and ... Read more

TUESDAY, Dec. 6, 2016 – Missing just an hour or two of sleep at night nearly doubles your chances of a car crash the next day, a new report suggests. And getting behind the wheel after only four to five hours of shut-eye quadruples that risk. That's comparable to driving with a blood alcohol concentration considered legally drunk, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety researchers warned. "This is the first study to actually quantify the relationship between lack of sleep and the risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash," said report author Brian Tefft, who added that the risk of sleep-impaired driving has long been "underestimated and underappreciated." The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognizes the problem and will soon issue a national strategy to combat drowsy driving, said Bryan Thomas, the federal agency's communications director. "Not ... Read more

FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016 – Sleep deprivation while working 24-hour shifts affects heart function, a new German study suggests. "These findings may help us better understand how workload and shift duration affect public health," said lead researcher Dr. Daniel Kuetting, from the department of diagnostic and interventional radiology at the University of Bonn. "For the first time, we have shown that short-term sleep deprivation in the context of 24-hour shifts can lead to a significant increase in cardiac contractility [the degree to which heart muscle contracts], blood pressure and heart rate," Kuetting said. The study included 20 healthy radiologists with an average age of nearly 32 years. The participants' heart function was checked before and after a 24-hour shift in which they got an average of three hours of sleep. After the shift, the participants showed significant changes in blood ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30, 2016 – People find help for all sorts of maladies online. Now, insomnia might be one of them. A web-based interactive program may help chronically sleepless individuals get needed shuteye without taking medication or spending time on a therapist's couch, a new study suggests. The six-week program uses cognitive behavior therapy techniques – a standard treatment for insomnia – to help reset sleep patterns, the researchers said. People who participated in the program "experienced significant and clinically meaningful improvements in their sleep, compared to those who were given online patient education," said lead researcher Lee Ritterband. Moreover, the results are "similar to outcomes reported in trials that included face-to-face cognitive behavior therapy," said Ritterband. He is a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine's department of ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 30, 2016 – Too little shut-eye can have far-reaching effects – even financial ones, a new report says. Reduced productivity and an increased risk of death linked to lack of sleep among U.S. workers cost the nation's economy as much as $411 billion a year. That's more than 2 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), the report revealed. Lack of sleep leads to the loss of about 1.2 million working days a year in the United States. Sleep deprivation-related productivity losses are caused by employees missing work or working at less than ideal levels, said the study authors from the RAND Corp., a nonprofit research organization. Compared to someone who sleeps an average of seven to nine hours a night, the risk of death is 13 percent higher for those who sleep less than six hours a night, and 7 percent higher for those who sleep six to seven hours a night, the ... Read more

-- Fatigue is a popular complaint among people with arthritis, and it can make daily tasks even more challenging. The Arthritis Foundation explains why arthritis and fatigue often go together: Pain can make it difficult to get enough quality sleep. People with depression, which is more common among people with arthritis, are more likely to be tired. Some arthritis medications can cause fatigue as a side effect. Inflammation flares can lead to fatigue. Read more

SATURDAY, Nov. 19, 2016 – For people with chronic kidney disease, poor sleep may boost the chances that their illness will worsen, new research suggests. "Short sleep and fragmented sleep are significant yet unappreciated risk factors for chronic kidney disease progression," said study author Dr. Ana Ricardo, of the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Our research adds to the accumulating knowledge regarding the importance of sleep on kidney function, and underscores the need to design and test clinical interventions to improve sleep habits in individuals with chronic kidney disease," she said in a news release from the American Society of Nephrology. However, it's not clear from the study that a lack of sleep is what caused the worsening kidney failure. The study was only able to find an association between these factors. The research included 432 adults with chronic kidney disease. ... Read more

-- Insufficient sleep is a big problem in today's hustle-and-bustle world, even for children. Here are red flags of too little sleep, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation: Dragging oneself more than 15 minutes after waking up. Sleeping at least two hours extra on weekends and holidays than on weekdays. Falling asleep in the car or during activities where you should be staying awake. Acting grumpy, irritable or hyperactive. Read more

MONDAY, Nov. 14, 2016 – There may be yet another reason to try and get a good night's sleep: New research ties poor sleep to a higher odds for a dangerous irregular heartbeat. The condition in question is called atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia that is strongly tied to an increased risk for clotting and strokes. Now, two studies suggest that trouble getting your Zzzs may raise the risk for atrial fibrillation. One cardiologist who reviewed the studies said the theory may have merit. While neither study could prove cause-and-effect, changes in a person's physiology by a "disturbed sleep cycle may be the mechanism for development and recurrence of atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Jianqing Li. She's a cardiologist at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. In one study, a team led by Dr. Gregory Marcus of the University of California, San Francisco, tracked data from ... Read more

-- Fatigue is a common problem for people with psoriatic arthritis. According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, some studies indicate that half of all psoriatic arthritis patients have moderate-to-severe fatigue. The Foundation suggests: Exercise regularly to help ease pain and boost energy. Eat a nutritious, well-balanced diet. Get plenty of sleep. If you have a sleep disorder, seek treatment. Prioritize your to-dos, and pace yourself throughout the week. Read more

THURSDAY, Nov. 10, 2016 – People who get little sleep are likely to drink significantly more sugar-sweetened and caffeinated beverages, a new study finds. The findings suggest that improving sleep could help reduce people's sugar intake, according to researchers from the University of California, San Francisco. They analyzed data from nearly 19,000 American adults. Those who regularly slept five or fewer hours a night drank 21 percent more sugar-sweetened, caffeinated beverages like soda and energy drinks than those who slept seven to eight hours a night. People who regularly slept six hours a night consumed 11 percent more of the drinks than those who got more sleep. Researchers said they didn't know whether sugary drinks cause people to sleep less, or whether sleep deprivation leads them to consume more sugar and caffeine to stay awake. Previous studies suggest both could be true. ... Read more

-- Babies and young children wake frequently, destroying parents' quest for a restful night's sleep. Here's what the National Sleep Foundation advises for weary parents: Split child care into shifts. Let one parent take the first half of the night, and the other take the second half. This will allow you to get some restful sleep, even if it's for a short while. Keep the lights turned down during middle-of-the-night diaper changes, making it easier for parents and baby to get back to sleep. Don't have any TV or computers in your bedroom. Get exercise during the day to help you sleep better. Create a relaxing bedtime routine for both you and baby. Read more

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 9, 2016 – If you're in need of a good night's sleep, it might be wise to give your smartphone a rest from time to time. New research suggests that the light from smartphones, especially before bedtime, may affect how long and well you sleep. During the month-long study, participants used their cellphones an average of 38 hours – nearly 4 minutes each hour. And the more screen-time people spent with their phones, the poorer and shorter their sleep, particularly if they used their smartphones near bedtime, the researchers said. "A substantial amount of our time is spent engaging with smartphones," said study senior researcher Dr. Gregory Marcus. "These may have important health effects, including influencing fundamental needs, such as our ability to acquire and maintain a good night's sleep," added Marcus. He is director of clinical research in the division of cardiology ... Read more

THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2016 – Too little sleep may contribute to a larger waistline, researchers say. The new research included 11 studies with a total of 172 participants. Compared to those who got enough sleep, those who were sleep-deprived consumed an average of 385 more calories a day. That's equal to the calories in about four and a half slices of bread. Sleep deprivation didn't have a significant effect on how many calories people burned. That means those with sleep deprivation had a net gain of 385 calories a day, the researchers said. People with too little sleep had higher fat and lower protein intake than those who got enough sleep, but both groups had similar carbohydrate intake. The paper was published Nov. 2 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "The main cause of obesity is an imbalance between calorie intake and expenditure and this study adds to accumulating ... Read more

THURSDAY, Nov. 3, 2016 – It's not a lack of sleep that makes many teens cranky, ill-mannered and muddled during the day, a new study contends. Rather, it's a combination of being night owls and then suffering daytime drowsiness, researchers report. The solution is starting school later, according to study lead author Dr. Judith Owens, director of sleep medicine at Boston Children's Hospital. "School start times which coincide with sleep needs, amount and timing, and reduce daytime sleepiness, are critical for adolescent health, safety and performance," she said. The findings suggest that the sleep time misalignment and daytime sleepiness associated with early school start times "may contribute to risk-taking behaviors, poor control of emotions and impaired thinking skills," Owens said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting high school at 8:30 a.m. or later, she noted. ... Read more